Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democratic congressman representing Texas’s 28th district, addressed the potential impacts of a government shutdown and his personal response to the situation in a series of posts on October 1, 2025.
In his first message, Cuellar outlined the possible consequences of a shutdown for both national programs and his constituents. On October 1, he wrote, “A government shutdown creates serious challenges for communities across the country. At stake are $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, $500 billion in Medicare cuts, and threats to the Affordable Care Act that millions of Americans rely on. In my district, 113,000 people are directly”.
Cuellar also shared a link related to these concerns later that day: “https://t.co/WsG3r986jz”.
Later on October 1, Cuellar announced his decision regarding congressional pay during the shutdown period. He stated, “Today, I signed a letter refusing my Congressional pay during the government shutdown.
If more than 15,000 federal employees in #TX28 are going without a paycheck, then neither will I. I know their hardship, and I feel their pain.
I have always opposed government shutdowns — https://t.co/nxH8tbrOjs“.
Cuellar has represented Texas’s 28th district through multiple election cycles. In recent years he secured victories over Jay Furman in 2024 by earning 52.8% of the vote; Cassy Garcia in 2022 with 56.65%; Sandra Whitten in 2020 with 58.3%; Arthur Thomas in 2018 with 84.4%; Zeffen Hardin in 2016 with 66.2%; and Will Alkens in 2014 with 82.1%.
